Foundation for Fresh Produce by Ifpa Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
510565938
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Newark, DE, USA
Phone
3027387100
Rating
67
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Agricultural Programs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,885,377
Expenses
$2,679,260
Assets
$6,341,002
Liabilities
$499,758

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

25 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CATHERINE BURNS (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)
  • DWIGHT FERGUSON (PRESIDENT & CEO)
  • ALEX DINOVO (PRESIDENT & COO)
  • APRIL PORTER (PRESIDENT AND CO-OWNER)
  • AMY YAROCH (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • CARRIEANN ARIAS (PRESIDENT AND CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • CATHERINE BURNS (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $2,044,222 total reported compensation
  • YVONNE BULL (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $413,369 total reported compensation
  • DOUGLAS BOHR (CHIEF EDUCATION & PROGRAMS OFFICER): $410,341 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The foundation for fresh produce's vision is to grow a healthier world by changing the trajectory of human health. The produce industry has the potential to provide solutions for many of the world's greatest health and economic challenges - especially those surrounding nutrition and hunger. The foundation will focus on improving the appeal of fruits and vegetables as an integral part of people's diets, supporting the development of infrastructure and supply chain solutions that provide easier access, and establishing strategic alliances that enable children and families to form healthier eating habits.

What it reported doing in 2025

Ffp is dedicated to helping consumers live happier, healthier lives by eating more fruits and vegetables every single day. A website resource (fruitsandveggies.org) provides consumers with nutrition, storage and handling information on a variety of fruits and vegetables along with recipes, research and more (links to social media posts, stories, expert advice).

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 76% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 54
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 69
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 31.8%; rating input score 32
  • Program expense ratio: 80.8%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $87.86 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 61.1%; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.37; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 57.3%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.7% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.2% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -2.7% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 31.8% of revenue deployed · 80.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 14 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $2.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $2M · 25 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $951K reported
  • Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 12 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 32/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 1/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 52/100.